Degradation
by DeathRealm
Summary: A teenager's life is full of hardships and pressures, though when you consider the life of a certain boy with a bad attitude and a criminal record, it makes you feel normal. Just how does Lash go about reconstructing his life? Let's see...
1. Lash's View

_**DISCLAIMER: I do not claim ownership of Sky High or any of the characters associated with it.**_

**_A/N: I thought of this earlier, having only watched the film yesterday, and did not hesitate in making it into a story. This was quickly produced and I have already planned a plot to develop over the course of about 10 chapters. If this story appeals to reader's then I will continue it. _**

**_WARNINGS: Knowing me, this story is probably going to contain SLASH (male/male), if you do not lke this, I suppose you could still read the fiction and dodge around the romance parts. It also contains bad language, and will have violence later on. When the story progresses it will most likely advance to an M rated story._**

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Lash's P.O.V **

"What a waste, I can't do anything more to help you." Principal Powers informed resolutely, before turning around and making her exit, apparently muttering about Wonderwoman or something. Usually I would be struggling to restrain from grinning, laughing or perhaps glancing at Speed in an attempt to get him into even more trouble, but right now? I feel numb. A moment of epiphany hit me earlier, and it hit me hard – having your head shoved down a toilet _**really**_ puts things into perspective.

"I went through puberty twice... for this?!" Gwen growled angrily. I rolled my eyes, she was really starting to grate on my nerves. To begin with it had all been a bit of fun, Speed and myself had always been what could be defined as 'bullies'. So naturally, when Gwen had discreetly told us that she wanted to recruit minions to help her in a devastating scheme of hers, we'd jumped at the opportunity.

I couldn't care less about the consequences, as long as I got paid. However, when she said devastating scheme, I was thinking more along the lines of... well, sticking the Commander in a locker? Okay. Stupid. That was exactly what I was. I had allowed myself to be mislead and controlled, and eventually forced to do something that I didn't particularly want to partake in.

Life works in very complex ways indeed, though in this situation you have the bad guys that act like complete and utter jerks, who everyone resents (again, sad to say - Speed and me), and then you have the real evil bastards. I'm talking about those with hearts of stone, beyond help and a danger to everyone. That is what Gwen is. And the sooner that I get out of her company... the better.

I'm was quite concerned, if you could call it that, about Speed. Whereas I had remained quiet and kept my head down, Speed was looking far too unperturbed for me to be comfortable with. Was this all a game for him? It certainly wasn't this time.

This isn't stealing some pathetic sidekick's lunch money, or beating on Stronghold's cronies in the hallways, we were undoubtedly going to end up in prison for our crimes.

Yet there he was, that stupid shit-eating grin on his face, casually tapping his right hand on the desk as though this is some ordinary detention. If I didn't know him so well, I could say the tapping of the feet against the hard, white floor and such was due to nervousness. Fortunately though, I'm well aware of how he ticks and his body language is indicating serious boredom.

Anyway, enough of my analysing of Speed. I'm sitting in a circular room, no decoration whatsoever, everywhere is just bland. This only adds to highlight the idiocy of that jester twat over there. There's a huge contrast between him and his surroundings and personally, I think that if possible, he looks like even more of a fool. Crap, I'm doing it again. So back to my point...

The atmosphere in the room is pretty tense, Penny looks slightly scared. Good – I cannot stand the stuck up cow. I'm sure she'll get a longer sentence than me anyway, I never actually got around to harming anyone, though I heard she got a hit in on the hippy.

Speculating on this, I am harshly reminded of my earlier failure by a throbbing in my left hand. I clench my fist in attempt to ease the pain, whilst mentally cursing myself for missing the darn Popsickle kid.

In true Lash form, I'd picked out the weakest target and went after him. The other two got on with it and I just kinda' stood there awkwardly at first. Though I'd never admit it to anyone but myself, Speed had always been better than me, my whole stretching power just couldn't compete with his super speed. It's not like me to be so submissive though, I have to keep up a front and it was just unfortunate for the kid that he was there at the wrong time.

Well, it would have been. I was far too overconfident at the time to believe that a mere sidekick could pose any kind of threat to me. And after the dent that I left in that locker door, I'm pretty damn certain that I have broken something or other in my hand, sadly I don't think anyone is really bothered. Can I blame them?

I'm not sure how much longer I can stand to be subjected to 'Royal Pain's' incessant ranting. Yeah, I get it, you fucked up again, love. Suck it up already! Add the Jester's nervous jabbering, Penny's whole staring into space act and Speed's cool demeanour into a large, overflowing pot that represents my patience, give it a quick stir and you can understand why my nerves are being stretched thin – and I'm one hell of a flexible guy.

At this rate I won't need to get thrown into prison, this is torture enough. Perhaps if I could just plead, yes _plead_, my case to Powers, she'd persuade the authorities to go easy on me. I am a minor after all, I was manipulated... "this is injustice!"

Oops, outer-projection of thoughts again. Taking a quick glance around the room it's clear to see that they all heard that. I'm getting sceptical looks from everyone in the room apart from Speed, he's opted for more of a gormless expression. "What? It is!" I exclaimed in my defense.

"Injustice, Lank, is having my plans disrupted once again, by those mindless sidekicks and precious Stronghold. And you have the cheek to sit there and whine?" Gwen questioned in a condescending tone.

"My name is _Lash_," I reminded her, ensuring to make my voice sound as dangerous as possible. We were in the Detention Room after all, no weird technopathic abilities could do much damage to me in here. If it all came down to it, I'd have no qualms whatsoever with neutralising her in a physical manner.

"Whatever,**_ Lash_**," Gwen snapped, being sure to emphasize my name. "It doesn't matter anyway now, there is no questioning that we will be going to prison for this. Besides, you already look like an inmate in that attire of yours, I'm sure you'll fit in wonderfully."

"Woah! You did not just insult the stripes? I would not take that trash, Lash!" Speed said to me. He was clearly enjoying this verbal exchange between Gwen and myself. Before I had the chance to retort, the door opened and Powers, accompanied by three large men adorning suits, re-entered the room. The Principal looked at us each in turn, disappointment etched on her facial features, before addressing us each individually about the actions that were to be taken upon us.

Just as expected, we were to be escorted to a remote prison specifically for "Super Villains," otherwise known as solitary confinement. This is it then, face the consequences of your actions like a man! Amazing, I sounded just like my father then. Typical that I should be reminded of the man at a time like this.

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One week later... **_

'Royal Pain' was sentenced to a life time of imprisonment, her sideshow freak receiving a slightly lesser one. Penny, Speed and myself were discharged after seven days of hell with a severe warning and an unpleasant experience of life behind bars. Our assistance in the dastardly plan was somewhat excused due to our age, however, we have still each been given 100 hours of community service. In addition to this we have to have regular meetings with a special adviser through the school. Other than that? I'm free. With my specialist's help and the aid of Principal Powers, I could be set on the righteous path of good... yeah right!

Don't get me wrong, it's not that I am not grateful for this second chance that I have been granted, I can most definitely assure you that that is not the case. I do appreciate this possibility of a new Lash – I'm not as dumb and insensitive as some people make me out to be.

The real problem with this tiresome ordeal, is that by the time all punishments are dealt out and normality returns, there is going to be a _**huge**_ impact on my social status. How can I, Lash, face the students on Monday morning? Any respect that people previously held for me is now probably completely eradicated, shattered like a sheet of glass submitted to a death-ray.

Not to mention how furious Coach Boomer is going to be, Speed and Lash, his once stars of Save The Citizen turned villainous creeps overnight. If I could afford to do such a thing at this present moment in time, I would rather volunteer to act as the citizen, I think that underlines just how much I am dreading that class. Or any for that matter.

I guess what they say about karma is true, and all of the negative stuff that I have done over the years is coming back and satisfying it's vendetta. Despite all of this complaining, I can handle it. There is one person however, I don't have faith in myself to be around. Will Stronghold. The fantastic, popular, overrated son of two famous superheroes, attending High School and laughing at me no doubt.

I can imagine them all now, huddling together in the corridors, snatching quick glances amongst the giggling and insults, extracting entertainment at _**my**_ extent. I'm stressing now... keep it together Lash. As much as I enjoy listening to my contemplative thoughts, it's getting late and I need to rise early in order to prepare for the horrors that await me tomorrow.

Over-dramatic? I think not.

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So that's it, first chapter. The idea came based on one small part of the movie, when Lash gets his head shoved down a toilet. I'm new to the fandom, yet I feel totally accustomed to the characters and the whole theme already. _**

**_This was written up in about an hour and there may be a few errors, though I don't have a beta reader, so apologies for that. Let me know what you think and I do respect your opinions, whether they are positive or negative._**

**_DeathRealm._**


	2. Scars To Mark the Present

Lash woke up to the sound of rain pattering rhythmically against his window. It was nearing the end of Fall and the start of a new school year was about to begin, well, for everybody else. After all of the trouble that had occurred in his senior year and his time spent in prison, Principal Powers had came to a decision.

If he hadn't of learnt from the experience he would have deemed the whole thing pointless. Due to his absence in these final and crucial weeks, Lash had missed important end of term exams, consequently, Speed, Penny and himself had been held back a year and were still regarded as Seniors. Unfortunately for him, so were little Stronghold and his buddies.

Groaning slightly, Lash lifted the black, silk cover from his lanky form and stepped onto the plush carpet. The décor in his room reflected his personality; all black and white with a hint of red. It helped that he came from a wealthy family, in the past when Speed had been over he had often regarded it as the room of Royalty, and Lash couldn't agree more.

Padding over to his wardrobe on the far left side of his chamber, he quietly opened the doors. As far as he could tell the rest of the household was still asleep, best not wake them. Scanning over the contents of his wardrobe he established that nothing had really changed, countless shirts with stripes and plain jeans were visible.

Sighing he closed the doors and opted for his chest of drawers. Lash wanted to make an impression today, an alteration of his outward appearance to convey how he had changed inside. Now that sounded gay. Shaking his head in disgust he pulled open the bottom draw and took out a selection of clothes. They were all basic pieces of clothing, and after after contemplating which he preferred for a minute, he chose to pick out a simple blue V-neck T-shirt and some black jeans with a chain attached to the left hip.

Once he had finished getting changed he turned around to look over himself in his floor mirror. The lack of stripy sleeves and his shorter hair really made his brown eyes stand out, though he felt naked without his usual attire. Looking down at his bare arms he clenched his jaw at the sight. There were a few reasons why he always adorned long-sleeved shirts and jackets. To begin with it had been to conceal his arms.

When he was just 10-years-old, he had been climbing a tree in the local woods with Speed. Speed was never really a good climber, his weight being a major contributor and the fact that his stamina was very poor... keeping in mind this was _**before**_ he became a living, supersonic being.

Lash, however, excelled in climbing and was always naturally taller than the majority of children his age. Being the determined child he was, his goal was to reach the very top of the tree. Lash was still under-developed though and lacked the upper-body strength that would be required to accomplish such a feat. He had made an error in judgement whilst moving from one branch to another and lost his footing.

Time had seemed to stop for Lash and without hesitating, his reaction had been to automatically reach out in front of him in order to get his grip back. He never felt the impact of his body hitting the ground. Instead it had felt like someone was cruelly dealing out Chinese burns to both of his arms, the pain was excruciating and he understood exactly why when he opened his eyes.

Lash had been suspended in the air, roughly two feet away from the ground. Above him he was met with the image of his elongated arms and a very shocked Speed. Before he had time to dwell on the miraculous occurrence, Lash had passed out and fallen to the floor.

That was when Lash had discovered his powers and the incident had left stretch marks that covered almost every inch of the two limbs. Disgusted at the appearance of them, Lash had vowed to never show his arms to anyone ever again. It seemed quite a strong promise to make now that he thought of it, but who would want to know some scarred freak-show?

Of course now that his powers had advanced, he could stretch his body with ease and sustain no damage whatsoever. Though he had always liked the kind of optical illusion that was created when he stretched wearing stripes.

He was snapped out of his musings by an irritating beeping that was otherwise known as his alarm, verifying the time as 6:30am. Almost as a second nature, Lash casually reached out across the room and switched the device off. He spent the next fifteen minutes gelling his hair into a new style. It was still fairly long, but when he had spent time in prison it had had to be cut shorter.

After grabbing a bagel for breakfast, brushing his teeth and hoisting his school bag over his shoulder, he was set to go. Luckily his Father had left early for work this morning, which meant that he did not have to see his disappointed face over the dinner table. Despite his Father being a complete and utter jerk about it all (that sort of thing comes naturally to him), his Mother had taken her son's villainous actions the hardest.

He'd would take the time to care if he could be bothered, but right now he had more important things to think of; such as himself and catching the bus. When he reached the bus shelter he was met with a range familiar faces and some new – freshmen.

Unconsciously shoving his hands into his pockets, he walked grumpily to the single bench where three teenagers talked excitedly amongst themselves. "Move it freshies," he commanded, looming over them leaving no room for disobedience. Seeing a quick flash of fear in their eyes he smirked as the feeling of control within him was replenished – he'd missed this.

But they didn't move. Stunned, he raised his eyebrows in a questioning manner, "I'm sorry... did you not hear me or are you asking for trouble?" Lash really couldn't be bothered with intolerable youth right now.

"What, you expect us to move because you told us to?" One of the teenagers bravely questioned.

"Wow, you read my mind, psychic boy eh? Now you have five seconds to..."

"Leave them alone, Lash!" Turning around Lash found himself face to face with none other than Stronghold, "I think you've caused enough trouble to last you a lifetime Lash, didn't being locked up in prison teach you a lesson?"

Snarling, Lash viciously retorted, "you have _**no**_ idea what I went through Stronghold, and even if you did, it has nothing to do with you. So why don't you drop the hero act and keep your big nose out of other people's business for a change, huh?"

Stronghold was standing to his full height and in Lash's opinion looking more grown up than the last time he had come face to face with him. Apparently he hadn't been the only person affected by the events of Homecoming. Standing beside him was that plant-obsessive freak, Lisa... Leah... Layla? Something like that. She was looking more and more like a hippy everyday.

"As a student of Sky High, it _**is **_my business to make sure you don't go around bullying new students. I'm surprised Principal Powers even let you ba... what the hell happened to your arms?"

"The same thing that's gonna' happen to your freaking face if you don't stop being a nosey bastard, Stronghold!" Lash was furious now, he hadn't planned on what to respond with when people inevitably questioned him about his injuries. He didn't know who was more annoying, damn Stronghold looking into his personal business or that nature girl pretending he didn't exist!

Fortunately the potential fight was cut short by the yellow, 'inconspicuous' bus that approached them. Lash physically relaxed, the last thing he had wanted to do on his first day was to get involved in a one-on-one fight with the muscle man. Holding his head up high he pushed the other students out of his way and stepped onto the bus. With a brief sneer at the driver, Ron Wilson, Lash strolled down the middle of the bus and nodded in greeting to Speed who was sitting on the back seat.

"Hey buddy."

"Hey what's up.. dude, what the hell are you wearing?" Speed inquired as his best friend sat down next to him.

Rolling his eyes in blatant irritation Lash replied, "what does it fucking look like? The _**last**_ thing I need right now, is for you of all people to be staring at me like that."

"Like what?" Speed looked confused.

"Like that! That stupid, 'look at that guys disfigured and ugly arms' expression, you know it makes me uncomfortable, man."

"Yeah, whatever. Sorry I guess."

An awkward silence passed between the two for the rest of the journey and whether he was paranoid or not, people _**were**_ talking about them just as he had predicted the night before. This was going to be a long day at school...

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**_The next chapter should be up soon and will show what happens when the new seniors arrive at Sky High. There's bound to be some bad attitudes towards the return of Lash and Speed. Comments are always appreciated._**


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